Tag Archives: Harry Hess

Harry Hess and the Sea’s Floor

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Ron Miksha

What does a commander of a World War II assault transport ship do in his spare time? If the captain is Harry Hammond Hess, he would be gathering geophysical data enroute to Iwo Jima. Later, he would use the data … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Exploration, Geology, History, How Geophysics Works, Oceans, Plate Tectonics, The Book | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

A Life Well-Lived

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Two years ago this week, one of our greatest scientists quietly passed away. Although among the world’s unheralded heroes, the life of Lawrence Morley deserves our attention. He helped prove plate tectonics, but in a fluke too common in science … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Geology, History, Plate Tectonics, Space, The Book | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Bad Luck of Extinction

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Bad genes or bad luck? That’s the subtitle of Extinction,  David Raup’s romp through Earth history from his viewpoint as a preeminent palaeontologist. Raup (along with colleague Jack Sepkoski) became somewhat well known for their theory that extinctions occur in … Continue reading →

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All Aboard the Barracuda

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Maurice Ewing was a Texas-panhandle farm boy,  became a geophysicist, and then and oceanographer. He conducted the first marine seismic acquisition, inventing the equipment he needed as he sailed the oceans. I find it odd that a lad from the … Continue reading →

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Kickstarting Tectonics

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Ron Miksha

The Mountain Mystery. tells the story of how (most) geologists and geophysicists finally agreed that plate tectonics moves the continents, opens ocean basins, and scrunches crust into mountains. But what started the tectonic motion? Most of us assume that the scheme … Continue reading →

Posted in History, How Geophysics Works | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Searching for Haida Gwaii

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Haida Gwaii. Totem poles and sea mist shroud the west coast islands of Canada. Rain is occasionally heavy enough to drown a duck. (30 cm a day is possible.) Or maybe the ducks drown in the tsunamis – earthquakes give … Continue reading →

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